Protecting vineyards against climate change while improving wine quality: the Arrigoni solution

Protecting vineyards against climate change while improving wine quality: the Arrigoni solution
  • Arrigoni agrotextiles, successfully tested at the Azienda Agricola G. Milazzo winery in association with the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and the University of Palermo, confirm the efficacy of the patented system for protecting vineyards. The results show effective defence against climate change, an improvement in grape quality and optimised management of ripening

 

14.10.2024-ENGLISH
Climate change and increasingly frequent extreme weather events are causing serious problems for grape growing, even in zones which have normally provided an ideal microclimate for this type of crop. In fact, in the last 30 years the average temperature in the Mediterranean region has risen by 1.8 degrees Celsius (source WMO – World Meteorological Organisation), with consequences in terms of yield, sensory quality and commercial value for the wineries affected.

Over-fast ripening, scorched grapes and overripe bouquets are just some of the consequences of climate change that are hitting many wine-producing areas around the world. To deal with these challenges, wineries are looking for solutions to control exposure to UV-B radiation and temperature during the growing period, with the aim of improving vines’ physiology and grape ripening.

Leveraging on its experience in the design and production of agrotextiles for farming, Arrigoni has researched ad hoc forms of vineyard protection, patenting the innovative Vigne Plus System®, a solution of nets and accessories which increases the vineyard’s shading factor by between 23% and 25% while driving up production by up to 30%.

 

Field tests confirm the system’s effectiveness

New field tests conducted at the Azienda Agricola G. Milazzo winery, in partnership with the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and the University of Palermo, confirm the efficacy of Arrigoni agrotextiles for controlling temperature and solar radiation levels in vineyards.

The Azienda Agricola G. Milazzo winery’s oenologist Giuseppe Notarbartolo was very positive about the results achieved with the Arrigoni solutions.

“During the trial we tested two shading nets, white ROBUXTA®, a reflective net able to reduce canopy temperature, and black SCIROCCO®, a dark net which acts as a barrier to diffused light. To be specific, the black net is able to delay harvesting by 10-12 days compared to the white net, which however keeps canopy temperatures at lower levels,” the oenologist confirmed.

According to Giuseppe Notarbartolo the initial results are encouraging and highlight the benefits of shading nets not just for protecting grapes from scorching but also for potentially extending the ripening period, enabling the winery to ensure that grapes used for both sparkling and still white wines reach optimal ripeness. “The solutions provided by Arrigoni have offered us a window of opportunity, not just for protecting vineyards but also for managing the condition of the canopy in relation to our intended wine-making aims,” Mr Notarbartolo concluded enthusiastically.

Davide Pacifico, researcher at the CNR – Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources in Palermo, agreed with him, confirming the benefits obtained from use of Arrigoni shading nets. “The initial results achieved in partnership with the oenologists at the Azienda Agricola G. Milazzo winery in Licata are particularly encouraging for the use of both ROBUXTA® and SCIROCCO®.” Differences in physiological parameters were found between the use of the two types of net, black and white, compared to the unshaded control. To be specific, the white protective net, which has more capacity to reflect sunlight, provides a higher increase in relative humidity than the shading net. This allows slower, more gradual ripening than with the dark nets, Mr Pacifico confirmed. Also according to Mr Pacifico, this difference was also reflected in the results of the chemical analyses performed on the grape musts, which showed an increase in acidity, an important factor for wine’s quality characteristics, with a rise in malic acid and a reduction in tartaric acid contents in shading compared to non-shading nets.

The data and research once again prove the benefits of the protection systems patented by Arrigoni and reinforce the company’s position as a reliable partner for estates needing to manage the problems facing wineries today.

For more information: http://www.arrigoni.it/

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